Berry box carrier



United States Patent @Hice 3,055,566 Patented Sept. 25, 1962 3,055,566 BERRY EX CARRIER Frank S. Allison, 1829 Farlin Ave., Green Bay, Wis. Filed Mar. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 796,619 2 Claims. (Cl. 2245) This invention relates `generally to berry box carriers, Iand more particularly to a berry box carrier having a pivotal tray, lockable in .a fixed position, to facilitate the placement therein and removal therefrom of berry boxes.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved berry box carrier, adapted for use in picking bush berries, the nature of which provides for the convenient fixation of an otherwise pivotal construction, the avoidance of spilling berries from a berry filled box when said box is being removed from the carrier, and the fixation of the tray thereof in a tilted position.

An object of this invention is the provision of a berry box carrier, the pivotal tray of which is lockable in position when berry boxes are placed therein or removed therefrom.

Another object is to provide a berry box carrier, the pivotal tray of which is bodily movable into a locked engagement with the carrier 'support means.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a berry box carrier, the pivotal tray of which is actuated into a locked position through means of a pivotal control member comprising said tray.

Yet another object is to provide a berry box carrier, the tray of which is provided with an upper inturned lip margin to avoid the spilling of berries when filled berry boxes are being removed from the tray.

A further object of this invention is the provision of means to iixedly dispose the tray of a berry box carrier in a tilted position to facilitate insertion and removal of boxes therefrom.

Other specific objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals `designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIG. l shows a front elevation of the berry box carrier invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. l

FIG. 3 shows a plan view, partly in section, of the apparatus shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 4 illustrates -a side elevation, similar to FIG. 3, but showing the tray moved into a locked and tilted position.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the stop and lock lug means embodied in the invention; -and FIG. 7 is a magnified fragmental view showing a berry lbox, containing berries, operatively seated -in said tray adjacent a tray edge, and showing the inturned margin operatively engaged with -a berry.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown a support means generally indicated at 10, for supporting the tray of a berry box carrier, from the waist of a person, comprising a curved waist band 11 suitably curved to fit the curvature of a persons body 4at the waist.

A pair of spaced arms 12 and 13, formed with waist band 11, project forwardly of said Waist band.

Suitable belt means, generally indicated at 14, are provided for securing the support to the body of a person, around the waist of said person. Said belt means 14 comprise a belt of fabric 15, or the like, having a lplurality of aligned button holes, such as indicated at 16, for receiving buttons 20 and 18, oppositely disposed on arms 12 `and 13, respectively. Said (buttons are provided with threaded stems which threadedly engage with said arms, thereby being rigidly attached to said arms. The length of the belt can be readily and adjustably accommodated to the waist dimension of a person by selectively engaging the button holes 16 with the buttons, as desired.

A berry box tray, preferably of a length and width to suitably receive two conventional berry boxes, side by side, is provided, and is generally indicated at 17.

Said tray comprises a rectangular rim consisting of two cooperating U-shaped members 19 and 21, member 19 being a back member, and member 21 being a forward closure member. The forward U-shaped member 21 i-s disposed to confront and straddle the back U-shaped member 21, both members lying substantially in a horizontal plane.

Forward closu-re member 21 is pivotally mounted on the legs of the back U-shaped member 19 by means of pivot screws 22 and 23. Said pivot screws are preferred to be tlocated slightly forwardly of the center of the sidey leg members 24 and 25 of back U-shaped member 19, respectively, though not operatively limited to said location.

The tray 17 is pivotally mounted on and across the arms 12 and 13 of the waist support means 10 through means of pivot screws 26 and 27, the pivot screws being threadedly anchored in the rearwardly extended portions of the legs 28 and 29, respectively, of the forward closure member 21.

The tray is preferably substantially balanced on said pivot screws 26 and 27; and said pivots 26 and 27 are disposed rearwardly of the previously mentioned pivots 22 and 23.

It is preferred, though not limited thereto, that the pivots 26 and 27 be disposed, in elevation, relatively higher than the corresponding pivots 22 and 23. The above relative elevational disposition results in an increased orbital movement and an increased tilting of the tray 17 as shown in FIG. 4, as compared to the movement and tilt had the pivots all been horizontally disposed, as hereinafter described. Obviously, spacing the associated pivots, such as 23 and 27, farther apart would likewise result in an increased orbital movement and tilt of the tray 17. Said increased tilt facilitates the placing in Eand removal from the tray of berry boxes.

A U-shaped tray bottom member 31 pends from the legs 24 and 25 of back U-shaped member 19. Said bottom is rigidly fixed to said legs as by means of rivets 32.

A lug member generally indicated at 33, see FIG. 6, -is provided with an upper stop lug element 34 and a lower lock lug element 35. Said lug means 33 is rigidly mounted on waist band 11 by means of rivets, such as indicated at 36.

When a wearer 'of the carri-er is standing vertically, and the tray balanced horizontally, the upper lug 34 is disposed to abut the top edge of the rim or U-shaped member 19, thereby limiting the counterclockwise movement of the pivoted tray relative to said fixed stop lug 34; land the lower lock lug 35 is then disposed opposite, and somewhat loosely receivable, in a slot 37 in back U-shaped lmember 19, to operatively engage said lock lug 35 therein, ras hereinafter described.

It is to be noted that tray 17 and rim thereof is provided with inturned and downwardly projecting lip margins 3S, 39, 41 and 42 around the inner periphery of said rim, said lip margins being formed integral with the corresponding rim sides. The lip margins function to hold berries, such as berry 43, away from the top edge of the berry box 44, and provide a prepared void or unfilled space under the lip, as shown in FIG. 7. When the slightly over-filled berry box is being pulled frontally from the tray, the top edge berries, such as berry 43, fall into the awaiting void o'r` space under the lip, and take the position of dotted line berry 45. In the absence of such an arrangement, the removal of an over-filled box of berries is usually accompanied by a waste of the edge positioned berries, as by their falling over the edge and unto the ground below.

Though not limited thereto, the carrier is preferred to be manufactured of aluminum to provide a lightweight apparatus.

Operation: A wearer of the carrier straps the carrier around his waist, by means of strap 15, the waist band 11 being disposed against the belly or mid-section of the wearer. The apparatus is disposed as shown in FlG. 2. To insert berry boxes in the tray 17, the wearer grasps the forward closure member 21 and rotates it upwardly and backwardly, clockwise, adjacent to the back Ushaped member 19. The tray is now in an open position. The wearer then slides two conventional sized berry boxes, side by side, into the tray, and onto the bottom 3.1 thereof. The berry boxes are not placed into the tray from a position above the tray, but are slid into the tray from a position frontally thereof, through the open frontal side of the tray, under the lip margins, and on the bottom 31. This approach is necessary because the lip margins extend inwardly over the boxes and beyond the top edge margins thereof, as described above in reference to FIG. 7, thereby providing a restricted rim opening which prevents the somewhat correspondingly larger dimensioned boxes from being lifted bodily upwardly.

The rim portions of the tray extend vertically downwardly, overlapping the box sides, and thereby contain the boxes therein, as indicated at 46, see FIG. 7.

The lip margins are spaced above the box top edges, so as to suitably and loosely receive a berry box between the margin edges and the bottom of the tray.

As the wearer grasped the pivotal closure member 21 and -rotated it upwardly and rearwardly, for the insertion of empty boxes in the tray, the tray was pivoted and orbited bodily upwardly and rearwardly, about the axis determined by pivot screws 26 and 27, as indicated by dotted line 47, see FIG. 4.

To steady the tray, a finger of the wearer is disposed under the back U-shaped member 19, to urge the tray rim against the under side of stop lug 34.

In this lug-stopped position, as the member 21 is rotated backwardly, the tray is slidably guided backwardly by said stop lug so that the slot 37 in the tray rim is moved to surround lock lug 35, and engage therewith, to effect a locked position of the tray, against unwanted relative movement or rotation of said tray. The stop means also functions/to register the coacting lock means.

It is to be noted that above procedure also results in a'tilted dispositionment of the tray 17 relative to the support 10. This is desirable in that the tray is disposed in a relative angular position that facilitates the insertions and removal of berry boxes therein and therefrom.

Such tilting results `from the fact that stop lug 34 restricts the movement of the adjacent side of the tray, while the opposite frontal side of the tray is allowed to revolve upwardly, unrestricted, thereby causing the tray to tilt backwardly accordingly.

In said locked and tilted tray condition, berry boxes can be conveniently slid onto the bottom 31, and under the lip margins, from a position frontally of the open tray.

To close the tray the operation is reversed, that is, the pivotal closure member 21 is rotated forward and downward, counterclockwise, until the lip margin 41 on saidmember. 21-rests on the lip margins 39 and 42 of the side legs of back U-shaped member 19. It is to be noted that the outer ends of said lip margins 39 and 42 are not mitered, but are continued to the very ends of their associated members, and underlay the lip margin 41, and function as a stop to limit the downward swing of the rotatable forward U-shaped member 21, relative to the back U-shaped member 19, thereby properly positioning said member 21 as a rim portion of the tray.

As the closure member 21 is swung forwardly the tray is likewise moved arcuately bodily forwardly, disengaging the lock lug 35 from its coacting slot 37, and allowing the tray to swing and balance freely, except for the limiting effect of stop lug 34.

To remove filled berry boxes from the tray, the tray is opened as described hereinabove, and said boxes removed therefrom.

Some characteristic features of this invention are the provision of a berry box carrier having a pivotal and orbitally movable tray, automatically lockable in fixed position against support means thereof, to provide a steadying of the tray relative to the support; the provision of inturned lip margins on the rim of a berry box tray, to prevent spilling of edge berries therefrom; and the provision of a berry box carrier having a tray fixable in a predetermined tilted position, for convenience of handling berry boxes into and from the tray.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practised otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A berry box carrier, comprising: waist band support means engageable around the waist of a person; spaced arms mounted on said support means, said arms projecting frontally; a tray having an open frontal side and pivotal U-shaped closure means for said open side, the legs of said U-shaped closure means being pivotally mounted on said tray through means of closure pivot means; support pivot means for pivotally mounting and balancing said tray on said spaced arms, said support pivot means pivotally connecting said arms and the legs of said U-shaped closure means, the support pivot means being disposed rearwardly and upwardly of said closure pivot means; stop lug means on said support means for limiting the counterclockwise movement of the pivotal tray at a position substantially normal to said support means; lock lug means on the frontal portion of said support means; slot means on the rearward portion of said tray for receiving said lock lug means, said lock lug means and slot means being registrable when said tray is positioned stop-limited as above; and guide means for normally guiding said slot means into engagement with said lock lug means when said pivotal closure means is pivoted upwardly and backwardly, whereby said tray is held locked in a tilted position relative to the support means. v

2. A berry box carrier, comprising: support means engageable around the waist of a person; spaced arms mounted on said support means, said arms projecting frontally of said waist; a tray, having an open side and pivotal U-shaped closure means for said open side, the legs of said U-shaped closure means being pivotally mounted on said tray through means of closure pivot means, said tray including a rim and a bottom; support pivot means for pivotally mounting and balancing said tray on said spaced arms, said support pivot means pivotally connecting said arms and the legs of said U-shaped closure means, the support pivot means being disposed rearwardly and upwardly of said closure pivot means, and said closure means being disposed forwardly of said support pivot means; inwardly and downwardly extending lip margin means around said rim, said lip margin means being of a dimension above the bottom of the tray to loosely admit the insertion `of a berry box between said lip margin means and said tray bottom through said open side, and said lip margin means extending over the tray a distance sufficient to overlay the top edge portion of a berry box operatively seated therein and engage berries adjacent said topl edge portion and maintain said berries spaced from said top edge portion until said berry box is withdrawn from said tray whereupon said lip margin engaged berries are caused to fall into said space adjacent said top edge portion; stop lug means on said support means for limiting the counterclockwise movement of the pivotal tray at a position substantially normal to said support means; lock lug means on the frontal portion of said support means; slot means on the rearward portion of said tray for receiving said lock lug means, said lock lug means and slot means being registrable when said tray is stop-limited as above; and guide means for normally guiding said slot means into engagement with said lock lug means when said pivotal closure means is pivoted upwardly and backwardly, whereby said tray is held locked in a tilted position relative to the support means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 510,723 Sweet Dec. 12, 1893 675,429 Warren June 4, 1901 814,563 Pond Mar. 6, 1906 875,452 Paine Dec. 31, 1907 1,075,643 Gowen Oct. 14, 1913 1,109,161 Chindgren Sept. 1, 1914 1,487,684- Oliver Mar. 18, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,108,411 France Aug. 3l, 1955 

